The Duke's Masked Wife



Alessandra didn't know what to expect as she followed Rose to a private space away from everyone else for the two of them to talk. Edgar said she was here to apologise, but if Rose could carry this out for over a month, what made her want to apologise now?

Alessandra and Rose entered the spare room that Alfred had used when he was wounded. When the door closed to give them some privacy, Alessandra immediately felt uncomfortable. She wished it wasn't like this with Rose of all people. She was the first Collins to accept her and there was a special place in her heart for Rose.

Alessandra sat on the edge of the bed while Rose sat on the only chair in the room.

"I will start off first," Rose said since she wanted to control how this conversation would go. "I was a little too hard on you. I was too eager to help you and did not realise how I was hurting your feelings. I do care for you. You know that don't you?"

"Yes," Alessandra said, but it did not sound confident in her ears. She didn't know if Rose cared for her the same as when they met, but she welcomed the somewhat apology for them to return to that place. She noticed that Rose had not yet said sorry. 

"I hope we can move on and be as we were. I will not nag you about your home anymore. Certainly, you can find it in you to forget about Edmund's dinner. I was being silly and hoped you would come to me to attend. I'm sorry," Rose added as a last attempt.

Alessandra should count herself lucky since Rose wasn't the type to say sorry just to anyone. Especially to the women who married into the family.

"I hope you can forgive this old fool. I have missed you and Edgar so much. I have not been able to meet with Alfred and plot on the two of you to be alone as we did in the past. Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Rose asked. She knew Alessandra was all about family since she hardly had one so Alessandra was bound to forgive her.

"I do not want to fight. I never did. I don't like that you and Edgar are at odds because of me. The two of you were close and I would like for it to go back that way. Especially now that he is forming better relationships with his parents. I can forget about it easily. It was always silly that we were at odds over furniture," said Alessandra.

This would be one less person she had to put her guard up when they were in the same space.

"Now," Rose said, standing up from the chair to make her way to the bed. "We have exciting news to talk about. That is a pretty necklace with a remarkable jewel. Where did you get it?"

Alessandra touched the necklace Sally picked out for her. "This is something Edgar bought for me when we had just gotten married. He bought a lot for me that I still have not worn yet. I am trying to use as many as possible now so I don't feel like he wasted money. If you would like one for yourself, I would have to ask Alfred where Edgar got it from. I doubt Edgar was the one to personally pick it out."

Rose placed her hand over Alessandra's right hand on the bed. "Don't you have any necklaces made with the jewels from your mines?"

"What?" Alessandra frowned, confused as to how Rose knew about the mines. She had not told anyone about them. She let it slip to Priscilla when they spoke about her mother, but Priscilla promised not to tell anyone. "How do you know about them?"

"Alfred told me. Now, wouldn't it be better for you to tell that town that you have mines to your name? Do you have any idea what comes out of the mines? Are they worth a lot? I mean, are there good things found there?" Rose asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.

Alessandra was silent as she tried to wrap her mind around what was happening. She couldn't understand why Alfred would tell Rose about the mines before they were on good terms. She knew now that Alfred had spoken to Edmund yesterday when she and Edgar thought he had gone to enjoy the festival. "When did Alfred tell you about the mines?" She asked, wanting to confirm something.

"Yesterday. I was quite surprised to hear that you had mines to your name. It fixes our problem," said Rose.

"I see," Alessandra replied, pulling her hand away from Rose. "You are not here because you find fault in your past actions. Wanting me to change because my family background was not good enough for Edgar in your eyes, and then sent invitations only to Edgar and Alfred. I cannot believe that I was so ready to move forward with you. It is so upsetting because I do like you, Rose. I liked that, along with Alfred, Edgar had you."

"I won't be asking you to change. To show that you are worthy of being married to a Collins, you should reveal that you own mines. Everyone thinks you are just the daughter of a former baron, and look what is being said about your stepmother. Your sister even married the man who killed all of those women," Rose said, finding Alessandra's background worrisome the more she heard about it. 

"I do not care about proving myself worthy as Edagr's wife. All that matters is the fact that he loves me. If you would stop judging me, you would see that I have settled in as duchess well by doing things my own way. Keeping myself the same instead of changing to fit in. What my family did has nothing to do with me. I should not have to be grouped with what they did. I am not doing this with you again," Alessandra said, standing up from the bed. 

"You and Edgar could be as you were, but I am not going to stand around and let you tell me that I am not worthy of him. I now wonder what was running through your head when we first met and you learned more about me. I can't help thinking your opinion of me was not genuine. I have finally escaped a life of family members ruining the peace that I have found. You will not ruin that. Excuse me," Alessandra said, leaving the room because she was not going to continue arguing with Rose. Not tonight. 

When Alessandra opened the door, she did not expect to find Edgar standing outside, waiting for her. She was upset, and she didn't want him to see it to ruin the night. "I-"

"Go with Alfred and my mother," Edgar said, holding the door for her to come out. He had one simple rule, and yet it was already broken. "I will speak with my grandmother alone."

Alessandra hesitated to leave the two alone, but she did not want to be anywhere near Rose, who was spoiling the night, so she left to find Alfred or Priscilla so that she would be around people who would get rid of the foul mood she was in now.

Edgar watched Alessandra leave and then stepped inside the room, closing the door behind him. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Edgar!" Rose exclaimed at his use of a foul word before her. "I am your grandmother. Not a simple person on the roads."

"Exactly," Edgar replied, slowly entering the room with his hands behind his back to stop them from listening to what his mind wanted to do.